Vial



Dec. 6, 193.2- F. B. COONEY ET AL 1,889,953

VIAL

Filed, Qoti 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Me/r' ATTORNEY Fran/c B. (0022 6y 1932' F. B. COONEY ET AL 1,889,963

VIAL

Filed Oct. 29, 1930 2 SheetsSheet' 2 INVENTORS fiankfi Patented Dec, 6, 1932;

UNITED STATES PATENT oFI- ica FRANK B. COONEY AND JUDSON P. SPORE, OF SAN'DUSKY, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE AMERICAN GBAAYON COMPANY, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF'OEIO VIAJS Application filed Qctober 29, 1930. Serial No. 491,939.

This invention has to do broadly with the art of closure means for vials, bottles, and

. other similar containers, and is more particularly concerned with a novel type of cap designed primarily for vials or bottles containing materials such as pencil leads, pellets, or other substances in this form.

At the present time users of mechanical pencils experience some little annoyance 1!] connection with the refilling of the encils with lead, due to the fact that the ead is usually contained in small tubes or vials the caps of which are completely detachable from the vials and not easily manipulated during the taking oft and putting on operations. Moreover, the removal of the cap leaves the opening entirely unrestricted with the result that the whole contents of the vial is very often accidentally discharged at times when it is desired to take out only a portion of-the contents, say one pencil lead. Another nuisance associated with present-day containers is that the ca s very often become lost or come oil the vial pocket of a user which leaves the discharge opening free to permit the contents to fall out and become damaged.

With this condition in mind, this invention has in view, as its primal object, the provision of a cap for vials or tubes containing elongated rigid articles such as lead refills for mechanical pencils, or material in pellet form, which ca s normally constitute a closure for the via and which may be manipulated without detaching the caps from the vials to provide for the removal of a ortion of the contents of the vial, say, one lea or one pellet. In this connection it is notable that the cap is permanently attached to the vial which feature is of great importance becau'se it obviates the liability of accidental displacement of the cap.

In carrying out this thought in a practical embodiment, we propose to avail of a cap made from some suitable yielding material, such as rubber or one of. its composltions. The cap is provided with suitable means for attachment with a vial and has a flat head defined by a comparativel thin web of the material of the cap. This ead is formed with a s while they are carried in the slit that normally remains closed due to the resiliency of the material and its natural tendency to retain its normal shape. However, upon proper application of pressure laterally of the cap the head is distorted to open the slit, thereby permitting discharge of the contents of the vial as desired.

Developing the invention in a more detailed manner, it is our idea to provide the head of the cap with cross slits so that the head will be distorted to provide an opening upon pressure being applied at any and only one side of the cap. Relieving the pressure naturally causes the cap to assume its normal position in which it constitutes a closure for I the open end of the vial.

A vial having closure means in the form of tages in view, as will in part become apparent and in part beZhereinafter stated, the invention comprises certain model constructions,

combinatlons, and arrangements of parts as will be subsequently specified and claimed.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a vial and cap made in accordance with the precepts of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the vial shown in Fig. 1 and is taken about on the plane represented by 22 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective which brin out somewhat diagrammatically the con With these and other objects and advantion of the head of the" cap when it is dis- J torted by a person in discharging a portion 'of the contents of the vial;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but of a slightly modified form in which the head of the cap is provided with cross slits;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the head taken about on the plane represented by the line 5-'5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a showing similar to that of Fig. 3' developing the opening of the cross slits in thehead of the cap when pressure is applied to only oneside'thereof; I

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the form shown in Fig. 1 as distorted under application of pressure;

Fi 8 is a detailed section taken about on the p ane represented by the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 and on the same scale;

Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional showing taken about'on the plane represented by the line 99 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the form shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6;

Fig. 11 is a plan view similar to Fig. 10 but taken when the head is distorted under the influence of lateral pressure;

Fig. 12 is adetailed vertical section taken about on the plane represented by the line 12-12 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is another sectional showinitaken about on'the plane represented by t eline 13l3 of Fig. 11.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a rece tacle or vial, such as is commonly employe as a container for leads for mechanical pencils, is referred to by the reference character A while the cap which closes the open end oi the vial A is desi ated generally as B. The vial A may be 0 the usual cylindrical sha e and the open end thereof is defined by a thic ened portion sli htly reduced in diameter as compared with t e main body portion of the vial and which is connected to the. latter by a curved portion 11 which defines an annular groove 12. The vial A may be made from any referred material. In the illustrated emiment it is depicted as being made from glass as the propert of transparency readily enables the user to etermine the state of the contents of the vial.

The cap B may be made from any suitable material havin the necessary property of resiliencyrub r, 'or one of its compositions has been found to be satisfactory. This cap B com rises a cylindrical skirt ortion 13, the lower ip of which is thickene as shown at 14 to provide a flange that enters, the groove 12 whereby the cap B is positively attached to the vial A. In fitting the cap B on the end of the vial A, the skirt 13 is ex-- panded sufliciently to permit of the passage of the thickened extremity 10 past the flange 14 so that the latter may slip into the groove 12 to eifiect the connection between the cap and V18 I j .The cap B has a flat head 15 which consists of a. relatively thin web of therubber material and this head is connected with the skirt 13 by the inclined wall shown at 16. It is notable that the head 15 is of a neral rectangw lar formation with sides 0 uneqpgal length providing an oblong shape. xtendmg lengthwise of the head 15 and formed therein in any suitable manner is a slit 17 which normally has its side in abutting en agement as brought out in Figs. 1 and 2. en the slit is in this condition the cap constitutes a closure for the open end of the vial A and the contents thereof is retained in the vial. However, when a (person is desirous of removing one of the lea refills from the vial A, the latter is tilted to a reversely inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3 and ressure applied to the narrower ends of t e head 15 whereby the latter is distorted to open the slit 17, as is clearly brought out in Fig. 3. After the head is opened in the manner indicated, the vial may be slightl shaken whereby one of the lead refills wil be caused, under the influence of gravity action, to pass out through the open. slit 17. After the desired part of the contents has been withdrawn from the vial, the pressure is relieved to close the slit 17 whereby the open end of the vial is sealed.

The .form which the'cap B assumes when distorted under the a'pl1catio n=of pressure laterally of the head is shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. It is notable that thelhead 15 is bulged outwardly to distend the sides of the slit to provide the inclined or converging walls shown at 15a and 15?) that terminate in the opening through which the material in the vial is discharged. The discharge opening provided by the slit 17 is comparatively small and the inclined wallslserve to guide a pencil lead so that it will be discharged therethrou h and at the same time they serve to retain t e remainder of the leads in the vial.

Referring now more particularly to the modification shown in Figs. 4 5 and 6 it is noted that the vial A and head Ii are of substantially the same construction as has been hereinbefore described. However, in addition to the slit 17, the head 15 of the cap B is provided with a transverse slit which extends entirel across the head 15 and which is designate 18. The slit cooperates with the slit 17 whicirterminates short of the extremities of the head to provide an opening through which the contents of the vial -may be dischar d when pressure is applied to only one si e of the-head as shown in Fig. 3. In this connection, it is notable that it makes no difierence just where the pressure is applied, because application at any point w1l1 result in the distortion of the head 15 in the manner desired. 7

. Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 develop the condition of the head when it is distorted by the influence of pressure at a single point and laterally ofthe head 15. When pressure is applied at the point designated by the arrow in Fig. 11 the sides of the slit 18 overlay one another as clearl shown at 19. This arrangement provi es the inclined wall or socalled bull nosed formation in the head 15 that insures the guiding of a pencil lead to the openin defined by the slits 17 and 18.

It IS evi ent from the foregoin that the novel closure means provided by t invention affords advantageous results of no little im ortance. Not only is the liability of acci ental displacement or loss of the cap eliminated, but a control of the discharging action on the part of the contents is provided. Spilling and breaking of leads while one is being withdrawn is therefore entirely 0bviated.

While preferred specific embodiments of the invention have hereinbefore been set forth, it is to be understood that we are not to be limited to the exact constructions-illustrated and described; because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claim.

a pressure operate 1S0 ar means for-pencil leads, wherein a lead i t o be discharged upon each application of pressure, a sup ly vial for the leads, a discharging device or receiving leads from the WM comprising an elongated cap having a fiat head end, said ca and head end being formed of resiliently elastic material, said head end be ing longer in one'direction than in the other and provided with crossed slits, extending one a 7 across the shorter dimension, and dividing hereto.

FRANK B. COONEY. JUDSON P. SPORE.

ong the longer dimension and the other v 

